Ronnen Harary of Spin Master Ltd. will also produce the project, which will be overseen by Universal execs Jeff Kirschenbaum and Anikah McLaren.

While Zwart previously directed "One Night at McCool's," "Agent Cody Banks" and "The Pink Panther 2," his newfound Hollywood heat stems from the surprise success of Columbia's "Karate Kid" reboot earlier this year. The film grossed an astounding $358 million worldwide on a production budget of just $40 million.

Zwart remains on board to exec produce Sony's "RollerCoaster Tycoon," having served the same function on the 2009 Norwegian horror-comedy "Dead Snow."